This invention relates to a game hunting knife especially constructed for vescuating of game animals and particularly to a dual-action knife for eviscerating and skinning of game animals.
Game animals should be at least partially dressed immediately after the kill of the animal. The dressing is necessary to maintain the meat in an optimal edible condition. This requires cutting into the animal and removal of the inner non-edible entail and other elements. Conventionally, a single bladed hunting knife has been used to open the belly of the animal from the crotch to the rib cage. The knife is preferably introduced into the animal to cut the skin from the inside out in order to minimize severing of the entails and introducing of hair and other foreign matter into the innards of the animal and thereby minimize contamination of the meat. It is of course quite important that the animal entrails and particularly the sock enclosing most of the entrails not be opened as a result of the cutting operation. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,788 which issued on Oct. 8, 1974, deer and other large animals are particularly difficult to dress in the field because the toughness of the hide makes it difficult to cut the animal open without contaminating the meat, and resulting in tainted meat. Even with a sharp knife it is often quite difficult for the average hunter to open a deer or other large animal with the necessary degree of accuracy.
Various suggestions have been made for a provision of a special knife for opening of game animals. The above '788 patent for example discloses a special multiple part knife having a generally U-shaped hook blade arrangement for eviscerating of large game animals. The V-shaped cutting edge is located inside of the U-shaped blade construction and is adapted after insertion to be pulled through the animal hide to sever the hide. The outer side of the U-shaped blade construction serves to guide and separate the skin from the innards of the animal thereby minimizing the danger of actually severing the animals innards. The pulling and inverted arrangement of the blade results in cutting from the inside out thereby minimizing the introduction of hair and foreign matter into the animal. The above patent also discloses multiple cutting blades with a second blade extending outwardly from the handle structure to provide for a more or less conventional forwardly projecting blade. The extended blade is desirable for skinning of the animal, wherein the skin is laid back and separated from the meat. The multiple blade unit of course requires separation of the knife structure for enclosing of the blades within the handle structure. The storing of the blades within the handle is of course desirable to avoid accidental engagement with the sharp cutting edges during storage and particularly while carrying the knife unit in the woods. The above structure does of course requires the opening and assembly of the knife structure in the woods, and often under severe environmental conditions such as cold, snow and the like. A similar eviscerating knife is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,021 which issued on Sept. 29, 1959. The latter patent discloses a single purpose U-shaped eviscerating knife, with an exposed blade. Generally, one would store the knife in a separate storage casing to avoid damaging or injury while carrying of the knife. The latter patent also discloses a generally conventional folding knife. The outer end of the handle is formed with a pivotal end movable from a closed protective position outwardly to form a jaw-like portion to permit an inside out cut with the tip portion of the blade.
The prior art solutions minimize the cutting of the innards of the animal while providing for opening of the animal as well as skinning of the animal.
Generally, the prior art as known to applicant has certain disadvantages, such as cost, inconvenient usage of the knife in the field and special storage requirement. There is a need for a highly safe and effective game hunter's knife which is conveniently used, stored and carried, and which of course can be constructed without undue cost.